Lance Stroll is 'very underrated' in F1, says Mike Krack

The bigger it is, the more it's acceptable. At the house of Aston Martin, property of Lawrence Stroll, we like to use the language of wood when it comes to Lance stroll. Never attacked, always defended, the Canadian driver is “pampered” by the staff of the British team. Latest speech to date: that of Mike Krack, director of the Silverstone-based team. According to the Luxembourger, the “owner’s son” is largely “underestimated” by the paddock and the public. “People think he's only there because his dad owns the team and put him in the car, retorts the former BMW engineer. But we don't do as well as he did against a four-time world champion by accident. You also don't win as many championships in promotional formula as he does by accident. »

Lance Stroll, who arrived in Formula 1 in 2017 at Williams, is regularly criticized regarding the legitimacy of its place in the premier category. Formula 4 champion then Formula 3 before arriving on the grid, the Canadian has never convinced the general public. Many consider that the 24-year-old driver is in F1 mainly thanks to his father, who bought the Aston Martin team (formerly Racing Point) in 2018.

“Stroll might surprise a few people” against Alonso

If the Canadian's record is rather flattering (1 pole and 3 podiums in 116 Grands Prix), the Aston Martin driver has suffered from comparison with his teammates since the start of his career. It's very simple: in 6 seasons, Lance Stroll has only beaten his garage neighbor once. It was in 2018 against the modest Sergey Sirotkin at Williams. “It's important to remember that Lance has never really had a winning car in Formula 1, one in which he can show what he is capable of – to truly deliver his talent” recalls Mike Krack.

This season, with a poorly born Aston Martin AMR22, Lance Stroll is still behind compared to Sebastian Vettel : before the event in Singapore, the Canadian conceded 15 points to the German (20 points to 5). But obviously, we don't see the same Grands Prix as Mike Krack. “When Sebastian joined the team, people said Lance had no chance, but Lance performed incredibly well against a four-time world champion. They are very close ", declares the Luxembourg director.

In 2023, facing a Fernando Alonso known for being ruthless against his teammates, Lance Stroll will have to show more of his supposed “talent” to earn the esteem of the fans. “People are saying the same thing now that Fernando is joining the team, but let's see. Lance might surprise a few people.”

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